New shift times for firefighters leave Londoners safer, says report

Londoners are safer from fire thanks to new shift times, according to a London Fire Brigade report.

In May 2011, the brigade introduced changes to shift patterns which saw firefighters across the capital change from a nine hour day and 15 hour night to a 10.5 hour day to a 13.5 hour night.

The new findings, which are due to be presented to the London fire and emergency planning authority’s performance management committee on March 6, show that when comparing the period of May to
December 2010 and May-December 2011:

• The time spent on community safety work went up by 42,229 hours, representing an increase of 13 per cent

• The time spent carrying out home fire safety visits where free smoke alarms are fitted in the homes of some of the capital’s most vulnerable people, went up by 11,198 hours, representing an
increase of 27 per cent

• The time spent on training went up by 6,092 hours, representing an increase of 8 per cent.